A goal nine minutes from time by Inverness Caley Thistle’s Grant Munro effectivelycalled time on the troubled reign of Dons boss Mark McGhee last night in front of Pittodrie’s lowest crowd of the season.

The beleaguered boss, who had been warned beforehand he would be sacked if his side lost again hot on the heels of Saturday’s 9-0 humiliation at Celtic Park, was on the back foot after 34 minutes when his side conceded their fourth penalty in two games, duly scored by Caley’s Adam Rooney.

A second-half goal by substitute Andrius Velicka, his first for the Dons, had the hosts on course for at least a point as McGhee clung to his job by his very fingernails.

But Munro’s late header means the end is nigh for Gothenburg Great McGhee, who will depart Aberdeen as the second poorest-performing boss in the club’s history behind Alex Miller in 1997-98.

Before the match, attended by a paltry 5,917, club legend Jim Leighton told BBC Radio Scotland that every single Dons fan he had spoken to wanted McGhee out — ‘100 to zero’ — albeit the former goalkeeper’s opinion comes with the major caveat that McGhee sacked him as goalkeeping coach.

But it now looks certain the Dons will be shelling out the £400,000 to end the employment of McGhee — and assistants Scott Leitch and Colin Meldrum — ahead of this weekend’s trip to Rangers.

End of the line: The expression of McGhee (far left) says it all as the
Dons' youthful squad was consigned
to another defeat by the late headed
winner from Grant Munro

When McGhee emerged from the tunnel at the start of the night, Caley fans taunted him with chants of ‘Are you sweating’ and ‘Cheer up’.

He would end it facing the boos of his own crowd and more Caley taunts of: ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning.’

Whether by design or necessity, McGhee placed his future in the hands of 10 of the 11 players who were collectively responsible for the worst result in the club’s 107-year history last Saturday. The only change was enforced, Derek Young replacing banned skipper Paul Hartley.

In a bizarre twist, last night’s programme, written and printed before the Celtic shambles, carried a two-page feature on Feyenoord’s recent record home defeat of 10-0 to PSV Eindhoven, noting that the Feyenoord defence ‘resembled a Leerdammer cheese, semi-hard and full of holes’.

There were a couple of scares in a scrappy opening spell, the most dangerous for Aberdeen coming when keeper Jamie Langfield saved a flicked header by Rooney.

It took McGhee’s side 16 minutes to mount an attack of note, with Scott Vernon’s 16-yard shot being beaten away by former Dons No 1 Ryan Esson.

Aberdeen went on to enjoy their best period of the game at this stage but squandered a hat-trick of golden chances.

Then Chris Maguire took a great cutback from Mackie and, instead of shooting, hit a dreadful pass out of reach of Sone Aluko.

McGhee’s side were made to pay dearly when Clark Robertson scythed down Jonny Hayes on the right. The Irishman flighted the ball over the head of Munro but referee John McKendrick pointed to the spot for a foul by Mackie.

Diamond and Mackie were both booked for protesting the decision and, when the dust settled, Rooney smashed a low kick beyond the despairing Langfield.

McGhee, who on Friday had talked about the need to respect refereeing decisions, had to be spoken to by McKendrick after an outburst on the touchline.

Things went from bad to worse, though, when he lost his best player on the night, Mackie, in a collision with Esson as he ran through on the Caley goal. Velicka made a rare appearance as his replacement.

McKendrick was the target of home ire as a result of the penalty award as he made his way off the pitch at half-time, while McGhee went into the dressing room knowing his tenure had only 45 more minutes to run if the score stayed the same.

Whatever he said, it initially seemed to be doing the trick and Velicka — who remained on the park at half-time to warm up properly — came close with a header from an Aluko corner.

A little light then appeared on the horizon for McGhee when the Lithuanian international ran on to a through ball by Vernon to clip the equaliser beyond Esson. It was, surely, the first time a goal from a Rangers striker had raised the roof in these parts.

Aberdeen suffered another injury blow when Ryan Jack could not continue — Jerel Ifil coming on in his place — and Rooney failed to twist the knife soon after by shanking wide when through.

Would a point be enough to grant McGhee a temporary reprieve?

That question was rendered academic when Munro leapt to meet a late cross from Richie Foran, the ball landing in the net to secure all three points for Caley Thistle andmaintain their remarkable record of not having lost away in the league since November 28, 2009.

As for McGhee, he had designs on writing history as a Dons manager. He ultimately achieved that but not in the way he wanted.

A reign which began with the record 8-1 aggregate defeat in Europe to Sigma Olomouc in July last year — and included cup humblings at the hands of lower leagueRaith Rovers and Dundee; then the worst loss in 107 years at Celtic Park — will now come to a sad end after his team garnered just four SPL points from the last 30 available.